Adjusting the Meal Plan (April 2013)

Our one day meal plan may not exactly fit your individual needs, so we’ve provided some ideas for adjusting the amount of carbohydrates and calories below.

For Less Carbohydrate…

Your healthcare provider may ask you to limit carbohydrates more than our meal plan suggests. This means you should cut back on the carbohydrate foods that you eat throughout the day. To keep your calorie intake about the same, substitute sources of lean protein or healthy fats in their place.

To lower carbohydrate intake for the day (to about 33% of calories) while keeping calories about the same, make the following adjustments to the original meal plan:

At breakfast, skip the whole wheat English muffin with trans-free margarine and replace it with ¼ cup of dry-roasted, unsalted almonds.

At lunch, decrease the amount of beans on your salad to just 1/3 cup and add 3 ounces of light canned tuna.

I don't do any physical activity other than what I need to do for my usual activities, such as going to work or school, grocery shopping, or doing chores around the house.

I do some moderate exercise every day in addition to doing my usual activities. For example, I walk about 1.5 to 3 miles a day at about 3 to 4 miles an hour. Or I do something else that's moderately active.

I am very active every day in addition to doing my usual activities. For example, I walk more than 3 miles a day at about 3 to 4 miles an hour. Or I do something else that's very active.

How Many Calories?

This number estimates how many calories you should eat per day to keep your body weight where it is now.

If you want to lose weight, you may need fewer calories. You should talk with your health care team for more personalized recommendations, but this calculator can help to get you started.